Hajj conference study finds gaps in media skills for addressing pilgrims in their languages

A recent study presented at the Hajj Conference revealed gaps in foreign language and digital skills among media professionals working in Makkah and Madinah. Despite self-assessing their ability to communicate Hajj and Umrah messages to international audiences at an average score of 4.06 out of 5, the study found shortcomings in several key areas. Conducted by Dr. Ahmed Ali Deen of Taibah University and Dr. Hassan Mansour Al-Najrani of the Islamic University of Madinah, the research surveyed 230 media practitioners.

The assessment, which evaluated linguistic, cultural, digital, and professional skills as well as their capability to design communication strategies for multinational audiences, showed that practitioners with over 15 years of experience felt more competent. However, there were no significant differences in self-rated competence based on training background or type of institution.

Researchers emphasized the need to integrate language training with digital production and performance analysis. They suggested including language tests during recruitment processes and identifying the most effective channels to reach pilgrims based on their countries of origin. Additionally, they called for regulations surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in content creation, stipulating that AI-generated outputs must undergo human review before publication.

The study noted that it measured participants' self-assessments rather than the actual quality of published media messages.